Natural history and Earth science, curated.https://eartharchives.org/https://eartharchives.org/news/giant-new-dinosaur-discovered-beneath-construction-site-in-brazil/https://eartharchives.org/news/giant-new-dinosaur-discovered-beneath-construction-site-in-brazil/Scientists have identified a giant new dinosaur from a construction site in Brazil that reached about 20 meters long and lived 120 million years ago. Its surprising evolutionary ties to a Spanish dinosaur suggest its ancestors crossed ancient land connections between Europe, Africa, and South America.Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:49:24 GMThttps://eartharchives.org/news/the-first-insects-had-way-more-than-six-legs/https://eartharchives.org/news/the-first-insects-had-way-more-than-six-legs/A newly described amphibious stem-insect fossil had 24 legs, shedding light on how the ancestors of modern insects moved from water onto land.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 01:30:33 GMThttps://eartharchives.org/news/we-discovered-rare-dinosaur-tracks-from-the-coniacian-age-near-tumbler-ridge-british-colum/https://eartharchives.org/news/we-discovered-rare-dinosaur-tracks-from-the-coniacian-age-near-tumbler-ridge-british-colum/Imagine the Western Plains of North America, from Texas to Alaska, submerged under a broad, shallow seaway. To the west lay the ancestral Rocky Mountains. To the east were low-lying plains traversed by large, sluggish rivers.Wed, 02 Sep 2026 21:48:25 GMThttps://eartharchives.org/news/archaeopteryx-may-have-needed-a-running-start/https://eartharchives.org/news/archaeopteryx-may-have-needed-a-running-start/New work argues the first bird reached takeoff speed with two or three leaps rather than a standing launch.Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:12:17 GMTevolutionbirdsjurassicflighthttps://eartharchives.org/articles/duck-billed-dinosaur-skeleton-from-gobi-desert-is-virtually-complete/https://eartharchives.org/articles/duck-billed-dinosaur-skeleton-from-gobi-desert-is-virtually-complete/The first thing that the expedition team found in peeking from the rocks and sands of the Gobi Desert was a tiny tip of a large pelvis. The international team descended on the exposed fossil, and chipped and brushed away to reveal more and more bones. Eventually, they exposed an exceptionally rare find: the virtually complete skeleton of a new dinosaur species.Wed, 17 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionasiamesozoicdinosaurscretaceousgobi deserthadrosaurshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/extinct-marine-reptile-had-the-face-of-a-platypus/https://eartharchives.org/articles/extinct-marine-reptile-had-the-face-of-a-platypus/Nearly a quarter billion years ago an otter-sized, armored, platypus-faced, marine reptile paddled in tropical lagoons on the shores of islands that would become southern China. This weird species is part of a diverse lineage that was restricted to a few million years and those tropical lagoons.Mon, 18 Feb 2019 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutioneretmohipishupehsuchiansreptilestriassicmesozoicchinaasiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/giant-early-whale-basilosaurus-hunted-the-calves-of-other-whales/https://eartharchives.org/articles/giant-early-whale-basilosaurus-hunted-the-calves-of-other-whales/Wadi Al Hitan, the Valley of the Whales, is a site that’s yielded dozens of skeletons of the early predatory whales Basilosaurus and Dorudon over the last hundred years. Newly uncovered specimens support the idea that it was a calving ground for the dolphin-sized Dorudon, and that those calves were hunted by the much larger Basilosaurus.Wed, 09 Jan 2019 11:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionbasilosauruswhalescetaceansmammalsmarineeocenepaleogenecenozoiccairoegyptafricahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/exquisitely-preserved-fossils-prove-pterosaurs-grew-bird-like-feathers/https://eartharchives.org/articles/exquisitely-preserved-fossils-prove-pterosaurs-grew-bird-like-feathers/Extraordinarily well-preserved fossils discovered from the 1970s to the present day show that all pterosaurs were covered in hair-like fibers known as pycnofibers. Two new pterosaur specimens described by Zixiao Yang and colleagues show that some pycnofibers were actually brush- or tuft-shaped and probably share an evolutionary origin with feathers.Mon, 17 Dec 2018 08:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionpterosaursreptilesanimalsjurassicchinafeatherspycnofibresintegumenthttps://eartharchives.org/articles/dolphin-like-marine-reptiles-were-more-dolphin-like-than-previously-thought/https://eartharchives.org/articles/dolphin-like-marine-reptiles-were-more-dolphin-like-than-previously-thought/An incredible new specimen of the Early Jurassic genus Stenopterygius found in Germany was studied by Johan Lindgren and colleagues. It preserves skin in detail not previously seen in other ichthyosaur fossils. The team of researchers have learned new details of how ichthyosaurs looked in life, as well as details of their physiology.Fri, 07 Dec 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionstenopterygiusichthyosaursreptilesmarinejurassicanatomyphysiologyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/plesiosaurs-and-their-absurdly-long-necks/https://eartharchives.org/articles/plesiosaurs-and-their-absurdly-long-necks/Since their discovery and subsequent naming almost 200 years ago plesiosaurs have captured the imagination of people around the world with their dramatic appearance and incredible anatomy. An extremely successful group, plesiosaurs ruled the Mesozoic oceans for millions of years, exploring a wide range of habitats and niches. Despite their iconic nature we still lack a solid understanding about many aspects of their lifestyle. At the center of this discussion is the lingering question of what exactly they used their necks for.Mon, 17 Sep 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionplesiosaursreptilesanimalsjurassiccretaceousmesozoicmarinemorphologyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/second-hump-nosed-spike-thumbed-dinosaur-discovered-in-mongolia/https://eartharchives.org/articles/second-hump-nosed-spike-thumbed-dinosaur-discovered-in-mongolia/Both hump-nosed species were part of a large radiation of chewing plant-eaters. Detailed comparison of the two species shows that their similarities were superficial.Mon, 10 Sep 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionchoyrodoniguanodontsornithopodsornithischiansdinosaursreptilescretaceousmesozoicmongoliaasiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/fire-guts-rio-s-natural-history-museum/https://eartharchives.org/articles/fire-guts-rio-s-natural-history-museum/Firefighters battled an enormous blaze for hours at one of the world’s largest natural history museums, housed in Rio de Janeiro’s former Imperial Palace. Museum staff even ran into the building to salvage some of the millions of objects from the natural world and human civilization in Brazil. Their combined efforts were not enough and by most accounts, nearly the entire collection was lost.Tue, 04 Sep 2018 22:39:00 GMTfossilspterosaursdinosaurshumansmuseumshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-giant-armadillos-of-the-americas/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-giant-armadillos-of-the-americas/In 2015, what was thought to be a dinosaur’s egg by a passerby was discovered 25 miles (40 km) south of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The meter-long “black scaly shell” was later identified as the carapace, the hard upper shell, of an extinct armored animal called a glyptodont.Mon, 03 Sep 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiondoedicurusglyptodontsxenarthransmammalsanimalspleistoceneholocenequaternaryhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-dinosaurs/https://eartharchives.org/articles/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-dinosaurs/The recent discovery of a dinosaur trackway site on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, provides insight into “a day in the life of a bunch of dinosaurs just loitering about, 170 million years ago” according to paleontologist Dr. Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences.Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiondinosaursfootprintsichnofossilsjurassicsauropodstheropodsscotlandskyehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/late-living-kin-of-iconic-burgess-shale-worm-found-in-england/https://eartharchives.org/articles/late-living-kin-of-iconic-burgess-shale-worm-found-in-england/Scientists have found a relative of the famous “dream maker” of the Cambrian Explosion, Hallucigenia. Instead of a back covered in spines, it was covered in a carpet of flower-shaped ornaments.Tue, 21 Aug 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionthanahitahallucigenialobopodsinvertebratesanimalssilurianpaleozoicenglandeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/hairy-footed-hobbit-shrimp-found-in-indonesia/https://eartharchives.org/articles/hairy-footed-hobbit-shrimp-found-in-indonesia/The Hobbit shrimp joins the rank of crustaceans with intriguing names like the so-called ‘sexy shrimp’ Thor amboinensis — also found in the same waters — and the ‘Pink Floyd’ pistol shrimp Synalpheus pinkfloydi.Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:00:00 GMTplants and animalsshrimpscrustaceansarthropodsinvertebratesmarineanimalsindonesiacoral reefshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-colorful-world-of-the-trilobites/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-colorful-world-of-the-trilobites/Far more than bumpy black blobs scuttling on the ocean floor, trilobites could be found throughout the water column, even venturing out on the beach at low tide. Their own excellent eyesight and need to camouflage against predators probably meant trilobites came in a variety of colors and patterns, like today’s crustaceans.Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutiontrilobitesinvertebratescambrianordoviciansiluriandevonianpaleozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-giant-sloths-that-lived-in-the-sea/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-giant-sloths-that-lived-in-the-sea/A study involving slices of bones from South America’s extinct marine sloth reveals how their body adapted to the underwater environment.Wed, 09 May 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionthalassocnusmegatheriidsslothsmammalsmiocenepliocenecenozoicperuchilesouth americahistologyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/brazilian-sail-backed-dinosaur-swam-long-before-spinosaurus/https://eartharchives.org/articles/brazilian-sail-backed-dinosaur-swam-long-before-spinosaurus/A Brazilian spinosaur’s leg bone shows aquatic adaptation ten million years before Morocco’s iconic Spinosaurus.Mon, 07 May 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionspinosaurtheropoddinosaurreptilecretaceousararipebrazilsouth americaosteologyaquatichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/new-pterosaur-exhibit-on-display-in-southwest-oregon/https://eartharchives.org/articles/new-pterosaur-exhibit-on-display-in-southwest-oregon/Over the past few months the team here at Earth Archives and Pteros has been working hard on something special, and we couldn’t be more proud. This week marks the opening of a new museum exhibit, “Pterosaurs: Ancient Rulers of the Sky,” at ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum in Ashland, Oregon.Fri, 04 May 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionpterosaursreptilesanimalsmesozoicoregonashlandexbibitionpteroshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/canadian-footprints-support-a-coastal-route-for-the-first-americans/https://eartharchives.org/articles/canadian-footprints-support-a-coastal-route-for-the-first-americans/Soils from an ancient meadow on a small island on the central coast of British Columbia preserve footprints of early Native Americans. Although most of the northern Pacific Coast was a wall of glacial ice at the time, pockets of forested land accessible by boat allowed early migrants to survive and thrive.Mon, 09 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMThumansmammalsevolutionpleistocenecenozoicmigrationcanadanorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/arkansas-s-state-dinosaur-officially-named/https://eartharchives.org/articles/arkansas-s-state-dinosaur-officially-named/Discovered nearly 50 years ago, Arkansas’s state dinosaur, Arkansaurus, is officially named.Wed, 04 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionarkansaurusornithomimosaurstheropodsdinosaurscretaceousmesozoicarkansasunited stateshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/pterosaurs-maintained-high-diversity-until-the-end/https://eartharchives.org/articles/pterosaurs-maintained-high-diversity-until-the-end/Two Moroccan phosphate mines have yielded dozens of specimens from at least seven different pterosaur species in three different families. The high diversity of sizes and ecological roles found there suggests that pterosaurs remained competitive with birds at medium and large body sizes until the mass extinction at the close of the Mesozoic Era.Tue, 13 Mar 2018 11:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionpterosaursreptilesanimalscretaceousmesozoicmoroccoafricaextinctionhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/500-million-years-of-cephalopod-fossils/https://eartharchives.org/articles/500-million-years-of-cephalopod-fossils/From Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos to Disney’s Ursula and Nintendo’s Splatoon, squid and their squad continue to captivate people throughout the ages. They’re survivors, both in nature and in human consciousness. Over the course of 500 million years of their history, cephalopods have left us plenty of traces of their presence.Mon, 19 Feb 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionsquidsoctopusesammonitesnautiloidscephalopodsinvertebratespaleozoicmesozoicmarinehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/what-s-the-deal-with-devils/https://eartharchives.org/articles/what-s-the-deal-with-devils/In 2012, scientists mapped the genome of largest marsupial carnivore alive today, the Tasmanian devil. This effort helps scientists pin down the origin of the facial tumor the species is struggling against.Mon, 29 Jan 2018 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalstasmanian devilsmarsupialsmammalsendangeredaustraliahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/why-don-t-we-see-more-animals-with-tail-weapons-like-stegosaurus-or-ankylosaurus/https://eartharchives.org/articles/why-don-t-we-see-more-animals-with-tail-weapons-like-stegosaurus-or-ankylosaurus/By comparing 286 different animals, living and extinct, researchers have identified traits that seem related to the appearance of weaponized tail.Mon, 22 Jan 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionankylosaursstegosaurssauropodsglyptodontsturtlesreptilesmammalstail clubanatomyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/portuguese-fossil-site-shows-pangaea-s-plant-diversity-during-age-of-coal/https://eartharchives.org/articles/portuguese-fossil-site-shows-pangaea-s-plant-diversity-during-age-of-coal/Comparing a Late Carboniferous fossil locality in Portugal with its North American and European counterparts shows how plants dispersed and diversified during Pangaea’s early days.Mon, 15 Jan 2018 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfernsplantscarboniferouspaleozoicmontes da costadouro basinportugaleuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-top-11-paleontology-stories-of-2017/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-top-11-paleontology-stories-of-2017/Paleontologists around the world published some incredible new finds and research in 2017. We count down the year’s most amazing, surprising, thought-provoking, and important stories.Fri, 29 Dec 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionmastodonproboscideanshumansmammalsbirdsdinosaurspterosaursreptilesinvertebratesburgess shalehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-skye-dinosaur-footprint-vandal-lessons-for-assault-on-us-national-monuments/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-skye-dinosaur-footprint-vandal-lessons-for-assault-on-us-national-monuments/One year after a bizarre act of local fossil vandalism on Scotland’s Dinosaur Isle let us consider the value of footprints in the sand and the implications for U.S. Government cuts to national monuments of global paleontological importance.Thu, 28 Dec 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiontheropodsdinosaursfootprintsichnofossilsjurassicscotlandsykeutahusanorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/dimetrodon-and-its-sail/https://eartharchives.org/articles/dimetrodon-and-its-sail/Sometimes in a toy dinosaur set you’ll find Dimetrodon, the one with the massive sail on its back. But Dimetrodon doesn’t belong with the dinosaurs. In fact, it’s not even a reptile. Although misidentified, Dimetrodon ranks as one of the most recognizable of extinct animals because the form of its sail is quite memorable. But it’s the sail’s function that is the real mystery.Mon, 11 Dec 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutiondimetrodonsynapsidspermianpaleozoicanatomyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-swimming-raptor-of-mongolia/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-swimming-raptor-of-mongolia/Halszkaraptor was an ancient cormorant-mimicking raptor. This long-necked fish-eating dinosaur is thought to have used its wings to maneuver while diving.Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:20:00 GMTfossilsevolutionhalszkaraptordromaeosaursraptorstheropodsdinosaurscretaceousmongoliahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-dinosaurs-that-dug-their-own-grave/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-dinosaurs-that-dug-their-own-grave/Recent discoveries in Montana and Idaho have uncovered a previously unknown behavior in dinosaurs: digging. These creatures, known as orodromines, had robust and muscular arms, shoulders, and hips that were well-suited to digging out burrows. Fossil remains of adults and juveniles suggest that these peculiar dinosaurs took care of their young.Mon, 04 Dec 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionorodrominesthescelosauridornithischiansdinosaurscretaceoushttps://eartharchives.org/articles/shock-and-awe-the-animal-kingdom-s-stunning-displays/https://eartharchives.org/articles/shock-and-awe-the-animal-kingdom-s-stunning-displays/The ability to disorient is a powerful weapon. In nature, animals use it to survive, scaring predators and buying a precious few seconds to escape.Mon, 20 Nov 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalsbehavioroctopuscephalopodskatydidinsectssunbitternbirdshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/small-extinct-whale-echolocated-like-dolphins/https://eartharchives.org/articles/small-extinct-whale-echolocated-like-dolphins/A fossil whale collected by a group of undergrads from a drainage ditch two decades ago has turned out to be an important transition from archaic to modern species. This and three other newly discovered specimens of Albertocetus, an early dolphin-like species, provide important anatomical information about the earliest ancestors of the living toothed whale lineage.Mon, 13 Nov 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionalbertocetuswhalescetaceansmammalscenozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/dinosaur-fossils-show-that-they-were-bruisers/https://eartharchives.org/articles/dinosaur-fossils-show-that-they-were-bruisers/Big, fearsome, and dangerous. Dinosaurs remind many people of fantastic combat scenes that result in grave injuries, or a painful death. In reality, fighting is no more than just a tiny slice of any animal’s life. However, fossils found with evidence of injuries tell a tale of how the extinct animals interacted with one another.Mon, 06 Nov 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutiondilophosaurusallosaurustriceratopshadrosaursdinosaursmesozoicinjuryhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/plant-eating-dinosaur-had-huge-chisel-shaped-teeth/https://eartharchives.org/articles/plant-eating-dinosaur-had-huge-chisel-shaped-teeth/Rhabdodontids are known from Cretaceous rocks in Europe. They evolved a unique way to break down fibrous plants: scissor-like jaws and teeth. Individual teeth lined up and worked together to form blade-like surfaces capable of slicing tough palm leaves.Tue, 31 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionmatheranodonrhabdodontidsornithopodsornithischiansdinosaurscretaceouseuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/prehistoric-bat-munched-on-mammals/https://eartharchives.org/articles/prehistoric-bat-munched-on-mammals/Known from fossils found in Eocene-aged rocks in Europe and Africa, this ancient bat didn’t eat fruit or insects, like most living bats. Instead its teeth show it focused on larger targets.Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionnecromantisbatschiropteransmammalsanimalseocenecenozoicfranceeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/these-whispering-walking-bats-are-onto-something/https://eartharchives.org/articles/these-whispering-walking-bats-are-onto-something/Bats’ echolocation seems like a mysterious, stealthy weapon to us. But to moths, they are a siren of death, loud as a jet engine. As the moths adapt to disrupt the bat’s sonar, the graceful aerial hunter has moved its dining table closer to the ground.Mon, 23 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsbatsmammalsanimalsecholocationevolutionhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/ostracoderms-armored-fishes-without-jaws/https://eartharchives.org/articles/ostracoderms-armored-fishes-without-jaws/It’s hard to imagine a life without a jaw—we need one to eat and interact with one another through speech. Yet like every other part in our body, it didn’t always exist back in life’s evolutionary history.Mon, 16 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionostracodermsfishesvertebratesordoviciansilurianhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/faked-fossils-reveal-hidden-marine-reptile-diversity/https://eartharchives.org/articles/faked-fossils-reveal-hidden-marine-reptile-diversity/Over 20 specimens of Ichthyosaurus from the 1700s and 1800s were misidentified due to fabricated body parts. A study suggests they belong to a sister genus, Protoichthyosaurus.Tue, 10 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionprotoichthyosaurusichthyosaursreptilesjurassicenglandeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/saber-toothed-kittens-were-born-bruisers/https://eartharchives.org/articles/saber-toothed-kittens-were-born-bruisers/The robust forelimbs of saber-toothed cats are thought to have helped wrestle struggling prey to the ground before using their long teeth to slash a killing blow. This burly build was needed to ensure the long teeth weren’t broken by struggling prey.Mon, 09 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionsmilodonfelidscatsmammalsanimalspleistoceneholocenecenozoicla breanorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/plant-eating-duck-billed-dinosaurs-sometimes-ate-rotten-wood-and-crustaceans/https://eartharchives.org/articles/plant-eating-duck-billed-dinosaurs-sometimes-ate-rotten-wood-and-crustaceans/Detailed examination of fossilized dung, technically known as coprolites, from plant-eating dinosaurs revealed two surprising things: large amounts of rotten wood, and crab shells. The coprolite producers, probably duck-billed dinosaurs are usually considered to be herbivores, and this behavior might have been related to egg-laying.Mon, 02 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutioncoproliteshadrosaursdinosaurscretaceoustwo medicinemontanahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/life-after-death-largest-discovered-ichthyosaurus-preserves-a-fossilised-embryo/https://eartharchives.org/articles/life-after-death-largest-discovered-ichthyosaurus-preserves-a-fossilised-embryo/Ichthyosaurs, meaning ‘fish lizards’, are a bizarre group of ancient marine reptiles that went extinct around 90 million years ago. They looked suspiciously similar to dolphins, but are only very, very distantly related to the modern mammals. They captivated the attention of scientists and the public alike due to numerous discoveries by Victorian palaeontologist, Mary Anning, who collected dozens of skeletons from the Dorset coast in the UK.Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionichthyosaurusichthyosaursreptilesmarinejurassicembryohttps://eartharchives.org/articles/how-a-paleontologist-found-soft-tissue-in-a-dinosaur-bone/https://eartharchives.org/articles/how-a-paleontologist-found-soft-tissue-in-a-dinosaur-bone/Fossils as we know them are preserved remains that rarely tell the full story of the creatures that lived in the past. Softer details like skin, feathers, or internal tissues are typically lost due to decomposition. Follow paleontologist Mary Schweitzer as she discovered how soft tissues were preserved inside a dinosaur bone for tens of millions of years.Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiontyrannosaurust. rextheropodsdinosaursbonestissueshttps://eartharchives.org/articles/dickinsonia-is-an-animal/https://eartharchives.org/articles/dickinsonia-is-an-animal/Researchers examining the pattern and rate of growth in the mysterious “quilted” organism Dickinsonia have shown that new segments appear to grow from a wedge-shaped section at the blunt end. This adds to a growing body of data showing that Dickinsonia, and possibly other “quilted” Ediacaran organisms were among the earliest animals.Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiondickinsoniaediacarahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-extinction-that-never-happened-video/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-extinction-that-never-happened-video/Throughout Earth’s history, some animals were thought to have gone completely extinct — only to show up again alive and well. This video by PBS Eons covers what scientists call Lazarus taxa. These groups of animals seem to “cheat death” by eluding our detection after their presumed extinction.Mon, 11 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionextinctioncambriancoelacanthgeologyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/antarctic-marine-reptile-used-its-teeth-as-a-sieve/https://eartharchives.org/articles/antarctic-marine-reptile-used-its-teeth-as-a-sieve/A recent examination of the skull of the elasmosaurid Morturneria seymourensis shows that its unusual teeth were used to strain food from the muddy sea bottom. Morturneria, and its closest relatives, show a remarkable similarity to early toothed baleen whales which fed in the same way.Mon, 04 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionmorturneriaaristonectinesplesiosaursreptilesmarinecretaceousantarctichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/india-s-bull-headed-reptile-adds-to-triassic-menagerie/https://eartharchives.org/articles/india-s-bull-headed-reptile-adds-to-triassic-menagerie/A large plant-eating reptile fossil from the Middle of Triassic of India shows that some adults had brow horns and some didn’t. Researchers have suggested that the horned individuals were males who used their horns in combat trying to woo females.Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionshringasaurusallokotosaursarchosauriformstriassicmesozoicindiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/carnivorous-marsupial-thrived-in-ancient-turkey/https://eartharchives.org/articles/carnivorous-marsupial-thrived-in-ancient-turkey/Twenty million years after the Age of Dinosaurs ended, an island that would become part of Turkey had a unique animal community, including a cat-like marsupial predator named Anatoliadelphys.Mon, 21 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionanatoliadelphismarsupialsmammalsturkeycenozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/chitons-can-see-you/https://eartharchives.org/articles/chitons-can-see-you/Chitons have thousands of tiny lenses all over their shells that may work together to form a compound eye.Mon, 14 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalschitonmolluscsinvertebratesmarineanatomyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-forgotten-arachnids-ricinulei/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-forgotten-arachnids-ricinulei/After the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana millions of years ago members of a unique group of arachnids became separated. Today these spider-like critters hide in the corners of only tropical Africa and the Americas.Mon, 07 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalsricinulidsarachnidsinvertebratesgondwanaevolutionhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/mosasaurs-last-of-the-great-marine-reptiles/https://eartharchives.org/articles/mosasaurs-last-of-the-great-marine-reptiles/Mosasaurs were the real leviathans of the Mesozoic Era, gigantic marine lizards that grew as large as whales. Some were wide-ranging hunters of large prey while others snacked on shellfish at the bottom of shallow seas. They became the biggest predators of the Cretaceous oceans in just 25 million years, a short period in geologic time.Mon, 31 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionmosasaursreptilesmarinecretaceoushttps://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals-secrets-of-their-toughness-and-evolution/https://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals-secrets-of-their-toughness-and-evolution/A genetic analysis of two species of tardigrade, or water bear, has given great insight into the genetic mechanisms that help them survive extreme conditions. Although tardigrades look similar to arthropods like insects and spiders, their genes show a much closer relationship to round worms.Thu, 27 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalstardigradesinvertebratesgenomesevolutionhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-filter-feeding-in-whales/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-filter-feeding-in-whales/Baleen whales underwent a number of evolutionary transitions on the journey from small hunters to giant filter-feeders. Recent research shows that there were a large number of experimental methods of feeding, including the origin of filter feeding long before the origin of baleen.Mon, 24 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionbaleenswhalescetaceansmammalsanimalseocenemarinehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/alberta-hunter-dinosaur-discovered-in-71-million-year-old-rocks/https://eartharchives.org/articles/alberta-hunter-dinosaur-discovered-in-71-million-year-old-rocks/The badlands outside of Drumheller, Alberta is a famous graveyard of giant Late Cretaceous dinosaurs. A detailed study of skull bones has revealed a new species of small predatory dinosaur.Mon, 17 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionalbertavenatortroodontidstheropodsdinosaurscretaceouscanadahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/sail-back-dinosaur-got-flashier-with-age/https://eartharchives.org/articles/sail-back-dinosaur-got-flashier-with-age/Detailed examination of this cousin of Iguanodon shows that its big sail evolved to show off to mates and rivals.Mon, 10 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionouranosaurusiguanodontsornithopodsornithischiansdinosaurscretaceousnigerafricahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-long-lost-cousin-of-rhinos-and-horses/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-long-lost-cousin-of-rhinos-and-horses/Cambaytherium, a little fossil from India may have rewritten the history of hoofed animals. Despite looking almost nothing alike, we’ve known that rhinos, horses, and tapirs are cousins since the 19th century. But how did scientists found that out, and where did these animals come from?Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutioncambaytheriumperissodactylsungulatesmammalsanimalscenozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/manitoba-s-marine-monsters/https://eartharchives.org/articles/manitoba-s-marine-monsters/As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, we’re taking the summer to cover some of the most incredible fossils that Canada has contributed to paleontology. To start it off, we’re looking at the Pierre Shale of southern Manitoba, an under-appreciated location that has produced world record-holding sea monsters.Sat, 01 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiontylosaurusmosasaursreptilesmarinetusoteuthiscephalopodsinvertebratescretaceousmanitobacanadahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/komodo-dragon-s-extinct-cousin-from-athens/https://eartharchives.org/articles/komodo-dragon-s-extinct-cousin-from-athens/Two small bone fragments found in Athens represent the last known monitor lizard in Europe. This small lizard lived at the onset of the last Ice Age in the last warm refuge in Europe.Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionvaranusvaranidslizardsreptilesanimalsgreeceeuropepleistocenemiocenecenozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/is-the-tyrannosaur-feather-debate-really-over/https://eartharchives.org/articles/is-the-tyrannosaur-feather-debate-really-over/There is something about dinosaurs that inspires sensational news stories. It’s not uncommon to see a trove of articles coming out about whether or not Tyrannosaurus and its relatives had feathers or scales. The problem with these articles is that they are claiming a lot more certainty about Tyrannosaurus than what we actually know.Mon, 19 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiont. rextyrannosaurusdinosaursfeathersscalesanatomyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/meat-eating-dinosaurs-had-sensitive-snouts/https://eartharchives.org/articles/meat-eating-dinosaurs-had-sensitive-snouts/Micro-CT scanning showed that meat-eating dinosaurs, known as theropods, had numerous pits on their jaws which are thought to be passages for nerves or blood vessels. Until now, this feature had received little-detailed attention except in semi-aquatic spinosaurs and giant tyrannosaurs.Sat, 17 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionneovenatortheropodsdinosaursanatomyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/apocalypses-of-ice-and-fire/https://eartharchives.org/articles/apocalypses-of-ice-and-fire/Ever since the dawn of life on Earth more than three billion years ago, the world has periodically undergone catastrophic changes. One era ends, another begins, and living things in all corners of the globe suffer and die on a vast scale. In between, stability allows life to recover, even flourish, in new conditions.Mon, 12 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMTearthgeologyice ageclimate changehuroniancryogeniankaroomesozoiccenozoicquaternaryhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/baby-bird-found-in-99-million-year-old-amber/https://eartharchives.org/articles/baby-bird-found-in-99-million-year-old-amber/A nugget of amber from Myanmar has been found with a nearly complete baby bird inside. The specimen is one of the several recently discovered amber nuggets with entombed body parts of feathered dinosaurs.Fri, 09 Jun 2017 17:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionenantiornithinesbirdsanimalscretaceousamberhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/stegodon-the-elephant-with-sideways-trunk/https://eartharchives.org/articles/stegodon-the-elephant-with-sideways-trunk/Even though only two kinds of elephant are alive today the history of their family, scientifically known as Proboscideans, is one of success. They managed to live on most continents around the globe, from Southeast Asia to South America, and adapted to different climates and habitats. And few species were so successful as Stegodon.Mon, 05 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionstegodonproboscideansmammalsanimalsmiocenepleistocenecenozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-5-the-grassland-empire/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-5-the-grassland-empire/We live on a green planet. Today we may take them for granted, but plants are the most important living things on Earth. Their colonization of land made it possible for all animal life to survive, from the smallest ants to the biggest dinosaurs. Their landscape once again changed when the grasses appeared, an incredible revolution in the history of life. How did they rise to dominance and conquer the Earth? And how did they manage to engineer the lives of the animals around them, ourselves included?Mon, 29 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionplantscenozoicgrasspoaceaegrasslandhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-tropical-beast-from-argentina/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-tropical-beast-from-argentina/Most modern mammals are either placentals or marsupials. These two lineages (and their extinct relatives) are collectively known as therian mammals, and achieved global dominance during the Cenozoic. Earlier mammal groups (including most therians outside of Placentalia or Marsupialia) became extinct along with the dinosaurs, thus rendering the term “Age of the Mammals” somewhat ironic.Mon, 22 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionpeligrotheriummammalscenozoicpatagoniaargentinahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/how-pug-faced-dinosaurs-conquered-gondwana/https://eartharchives.org/articles/how-pug-faced-dinosaurs-conquered-gondwana/Abelisaurids were a family of strange, short-faced carnivores that, after millions of years living in the shadows of larger predatory dinosaurs, suddenly spread across Gondwana, the southern hemisphere, in the late Cretaceous Period to become the dominant predators across four continents. A fossil discovered in north Africa gives additional insights into how these animals managed to disperse across so great a distance.Tue, 16 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionchenanisaurusabelisaurstheropodsdinosaurscretaceousgondwanahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-4-a-tale-of-flowers-and-seeds/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-4-a-tale-of-flowers-and-seeds/We live on a green planet. Today we may take them for granted, but plants are the most important living things on Earth. Their colonization of land made it possible for all animal life to survive, from the smallest ants to the biggest dinosaurs. After evolving into green-topped giants, how would plants ensure that their future generations were protected? What new ingenious systems of reproduction would they use?Mon, 15 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionleefructusarchaefructusplantscretaceousyixianchinaasiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/armored-dinosaur-named-for-ghostbusters-monster-zuul/https://eartharchives.org/articles/armored-dinosaur-named-for-ghostbusters-monster-zuul/This Late Cretaceous armored dinosaur is known from an amazingly preserved specimen that shows fossilized skin tissue.Wed, 10 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionzuulankylosaursdinosaurscretaceouscanadahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/pachyrhinosaurus-the-stump-nosed-horned-dinosaur/https://eartharchives.org/articles/pachyrhinosaurus-the-stump-nosed-horned-dinosaur/This oddball of the horned dinosaur family had a lumpy mass of bone where Triceratops flaunted its famous triple horns.Mon, 08 May 2017 17:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionpachyrhinosaurusceratopsiansdinosaurscretaceouscanadaunited statesnorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/jianianhualong-the-dinosaur-with-feathers-made-for-flying/https://eartharchives.org/articles/jianianhualong-the-dinosaur-with-feathers-made-for-flying/One fossil dinosaur from China shows that modern asymmetrical feathers, normally associated with flight, also evolved in grounded dinosaur groups.Sun, 07 May 2017 09:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionjianianhualongtroodontidstheropodsdinosaurscretaceouslianoningchinaasiafeathershttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-3-the-age-of-coal/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-3-the-age-of-coal/We live on a green planet. Today we may take them for granted, but plants are the most important living things on Earth. Their initial colonization of land made it possible for all animal life to survive, and once the Devonian ended, the forests grew bigger and stranger. How would plants change their own bodies and the environment in this golden age?Mon, 01 May 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionplantscarboniferouscoallepidodendronarthropleuraarthropodsillinoishttps://eartharchives.org/articles/humans-may-have-been-in-the-americas-over-100-000-years-earlier-than-thought/https://eartharchives.org/articles/humans-may-have-been-in-the-americas-over-100-000-years-earlier-than-thought/Extensive archaeological and anthropological data suggest that the first humans entered the Americas about 15,000 years ago from Asia to Alaska. A 130,000-year-old mastodon skeleton discovered in suburban San Diego shows signs of butchery only associated with ancient humans.Thu, 27 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMThumanshomininsfossilsevolutionamericasmastodonelephantsproboscideanspleistocenehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/lurdusaurus-river-dinosaur-of-the-ancient-sahara/https://eartharchives.org/articles/lurdusaurus-river-dinosaur-of-the-ancient-sahara/Lurdusaurus was a burly, barrel-chested iguanodont that may have been semi-aquatic, living in and around the rivers of an ancient tropical forest. It moved slowly on land, measuring eight meters long (26 feet) and weighing more than five tons.Mon, 24 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionlurdusaurusornithopodsdinosaurscretaceoussaharanigerafricahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/sea-scorpions-stabbed-and-slashed-their-prey-to-bits/https://eartharchives.org/articles/sea-scorpions-stabbed-and-slashed-their-prey-to-bits/While sea scorpions are not true scorpions, they might have weaponized their tail like one. One fossil with a curved tail suggests how they might have moved their tail around.Thu, 20 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionslimoniaeurypteridssea scorpionsarthropodsmarinesilurianhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-2-birth-of-the-forests/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-2-birth-of-the-forests/We live on a green planet. Today we may take them for granted, but plants are the most important living things on Earth. Their colonization of land made it possible for all animal life to survive, from the smallest ants to the biggest dinosaurs. After their first foray onto land, how did they turn into nature’s skyscrapers?Mon, 17 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionplantstiktaaliktetrapoddevonianpaleozoiccanadanorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/tiny-stilt-raptor-hunted-in-china-125-million-years-ago/https://eartharchives.org/articles/tiny-stilt-raptor-hunted-in-china-125-million-years-ago/Dromaeosaurs, feathered predators nicknamed raptors, hunted with retractable sickle-shaped claws on their feet. Most dromaeosaurs had short and stocky legs, but this roadrunner-sized raptor walked on stilt-legs. It was part of the microraptorian lineage, famous for being four-winged gliders.Thu, 13 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionzhongjianosaurusdromaeosaurstheropodsdinosaurscretaceousyixianchinaasiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-cave-hyenas-of-ice-age-europe/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-cave-hyenas-of-ice-age-europe/A fossil-bearing cave in northeastern Spain that has yielded the most complete skeleton of the extinct cave hyena yet known, greatly improving on partial remains found elsewhere. The deposits in the cave, known as Las Aprendices, have been dated to approximately 144,000 years ago. The cave offers a snapshot of the environment and wildlife encountered by the first humans moving into Europe.Mon, 10 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionhyenacrocutamammalsanimalspleistoceneeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/biggest-collection-of-dinosaur-footprints-found-on-australian-coast/https://eartharchives.org/articles/biggest-collection-of-dinosaur-footprints-found-on-australian-coast/Paleontologists have published a description of one of the best collections of dinosaur footprints on Earth from a stretch of beach on the northern coast of Western Australia. They include one of the largest dinosaur footprints known, as well as the first fossil evidence of stegosaurs in Australia.Tue, 04 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiondinosaursfootprintsichnofossilsaustraliajurassiccretaceoushttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-1-the-first-conquerors-of-land/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-evolution-of-plants-part-1-the-first-conquerors-of-land/We live on a green planet. Today we may take them for granted, but plants are the most important living things on Earth. Their colonization of land made it possible for all animal life to survive, from the smallest ants to the largest dinosaurs. What were the first of these tough, green pioneers? And how did they find their way onto land in the first place?Mon, 03 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionplantsdevonianpaleozoicscotlandeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/locked-in-rock-liberating-america-s-giant-raptors/https://eartharchives.org/articles/locked-in-rock-liberating-america-s-giant-raptors/Unlike its turkey-sized Mongolian cousin Velociraptor, Utahraptor is an elusive beast. Despite people's great interest in them, dromaeosaur fossils are pretty scarce in North America. The secrets of the raptors, however, may lie hidden inside a slab of sandstone. It is not an exaggeration to call this block one of the most important dinosaur discoveries ever.Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionutahraptordromaeosaurstheropodsdinosaurscretaceousutahnorth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/century-old-dinosaur-classification-might-be-wrong/https://eartharchives.org/articles/century-old-dinosaur-classification-might-be-wrong/For over a century, it has been agreed that the long-necked sauropods are cousins of the carnivorous theropods based on features of the vertebrae and hands. One study suggests that this is incorrect. The theropods seem to be related to the beaked herbivorous ornithischians instead.Wed, 22 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutiondinosaurstheropodssauropodomorphsornithischiansherrerasauridsornithoscelidanscladogramsphylogenyhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/dinosaurs-with-knives/https://eartharchives.org/articles/dinosaurs-with-knives/For many decades, it was believed that the group of dinosaurs known as theropods (“beast-footed”) were all carnivores that filled the role of apex predators in prehistoric ecosystems. Now we know that things weren’t that simple. While herbivorous dinosaurs haven't been known to evolve carnivory, paleontologists have found multiple meat-eaters that gave up on their habit.Mon, 20 Mar 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutiontherizinosaurstheropodsdinosaursanimalscretaceousmesozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/oldest-multicellular-fossils-found-in-1-6-billion-year-old-rocks/https://eartharchives.org/articles/oldest-multicellular-fossils-found-in-1-6-billion-year-old-rocks/Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of red algae living in a shallow equatorial sea have been discovered in central India. These fossils represent the oldest known multicellular organisms and push back the origin of complex life by hundreds of millions of years.Tue, 14 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionalgaeplantsearthgeologyvindhyanindiaasiahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/final-mammoth-populations-suffered-from-genetic-meltdown/https://eartharchives.org/articles/final-mammoth-populations-suffered-from-genetic-meltdown/The last populations of woolly mammoths lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Siberia. Comparison of specimens from Wrangel Island and the Siberian mainland show that the island populations accumulated a number of genetic mutations that would adversely affect the last living mammoths.Mon, 13 Mar 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionmammothselephantspachydermsmammalsanimalsice agepleistocenehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/did-t-rex-have-feathers/https://eartharchives.org/articles/did-t-rex-have-feathers/Tyrannosaurus has never been found with feathers preserved, but its cousins tell us it wasn't the green scaly giant of our childhood.Mon, 06 Mar 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiontyrannosaurustheropoddinosaurnorth americacretaceousfeathershttps://eartharchives.org/articles/hatzegopteryx-transylvania-s-dinosaur-hunter/https://eartharchives.org/articles/hatzegopteryx-transylvania-s-dinosaur-hunter/During the late Cretaceous, Transylvania was an island that hosted one of the largest pterosaurs of all time. Now, scientists think that this giraffe-sized stork-like reptile might have also been the island’s arch-predator.Mon, 27 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionhatzegopteryxazhdarchidspterosaurscretaceousromaniaeuropehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-stegosaur-lookalike-and-its-last-supper/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-stegosaur-lookalike-and-its-last-supper/One dinosaur discovered in Argentina was found with a gut full of toxic seeds. This discovery offers researchers an insight on how dinosaurs and plants depended on each other for survival.Mon, 20 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionisaberrysauraornithischiadinosaurjurassicargentinapatagoniahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/deinocheirus-the-giant-hunchbacked-dinosaur-with-terrifying-hands/https://eartharchives.org/articles/deinocheirus-the-giant-hunchbacked-dinosaur-with-terrifying-hands/In 1965, a pair of arms as long as a full-grown ostrich's height were discovered in Mongolia. For more than 40 years, the rest of the animal remained a mystery.Mon, 13 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiondeinocheirustheropoddinosaurmongoliaasiacretaceoushttps://eartharchives.org/articles/south-america-s-fox-on-stilts/https://eartharchives.org/articles/south-america-s-fox-on-stilts/South America’s maned wolves are some of the most evolutionarily distinct and morphologically quirky canids around. Unfortunately, their favorite habitat is being destroyed at twice the rate of the Amazon Rainforest.Wed, 08 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalscanidsmammalsanimalssouth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/burgess-shale-animal-clapped-its-feathery-arms-during-feeding/https://eartharchives.org/articles/burgess-shale-animal-clapped-its-feathery-arms-during-feeding/A suspension feeding “worm” from the Cambrian Burgess Shale held on to the ground with its rear legs and used its feather-like front legs to capture food out of the water.Mon, 06 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionovatiovermislobopodsinvertebratescambrianburgess shalehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/ice-cream-cone-with-a-trapdoor-finds-its-place-on-the-tree-of-life/https://eartharchives.org/articles/ice-cream-cone-with-a-trapdoor-finds-its-place-on-the-tree-of-life/Hyoliths, an enigmatic group of Paleozoic invertebrates have long puzzled paleontologists. A new analysis of hundreds of specimens shows that they are close relatives of brachiopods or lamp shells.Wed, 01 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionhyolithsinvertebratescambrianpaleozoicburgess shalehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/feather-explosion/https://eartharchives.org/articles/feather-explosion/Since the 1990s, more and more dinosaur fossils with evidence of feathers have burst onto the scene. But recent discoveries are only the latest salvo in a long list of bombshells linking them to birds.Mon, 30 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutiontheropodsdinosaursfeathershttps://eartharchives.org/articles/aggressive-mimicry-ten-animals-that-are-dressed-to-kill/https://eartharchives.org/articles/aggressive-mimicry-ten-animals-that-are-dressed-to-kill/Animals don’t just put on costumes to scamper away from predators. With the right disguise, these impostors turn the tables on an unwitting victim.Mon, 23 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsanimalsturtlessnakesreptilesmantidsmothsspidersinsectsarachnidsarthropodsinvertebratesmimicryhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/what-are-stegosaurs/https://eartharchives.org/articles/what-are-stegosaurs/Ever since their discovery, the huge back plates and tail spikes on stegosaurs have inspired wonder, but also puzzlement about their purpose.Mon, 16 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionstegosaurusthyreophoransornitischiansdinosaursjurassicmorrison formationhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/antsy-farmville-when-bugs-learn-to-farm/https://eartharchives.org/articles/antsy-farmville-when-bugs-learn-to-farm/Ever wonder what leafcutter ants do with all those leaves? Turns out, they’re not for eating (at least, not directly). The leaves serve as the raw organic material on which to grow the real prize – a crop of delicious fungus.Wed, 11 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsantsinsectsinvertebratesanimalsculturebehaviorhttps://eartharchives.org/articles/what-would-you-get-if-you-mixed-a-dog-and-a-bear/https://eartharchives.org/articles/what-would-you-get-if-you-mixed-a-dog-and-a-bear/Amphicyonids were a family of carnivores that lived in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa for about 45 million years. They were part of a group of mammals called “Caniformia”, which includes animals such as seals, raccoons, weasels, skunks, otters, bears and dogs. The similarities of Amphicyonids and these last two are what gave them the colloquial name of “bear-dogs”.Mon, 09 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionbeardogamphicyonidaecarnivoresmammalsanimalsoligocenepleistocenehttps://eartharchives.org/articles/birth-of-silkhenge-spider-caught-on-camera-for-the-first-time/https://eartharchives.org/articles/birth-of-silkhenge-spider-caught-on-camera-for-the-first-time/Beavers, bees, birds, it is known that many members of the animal kingdom build intricate structures as a part of their life cycle. But what about spiders?Sat, 07 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTplants and animalsspidersarachnidsarthropodsinvertebratesanimalsamazonsouth americahttps://eartharchives.org/articles/the-secret-garden-of-ediacara-and-the-origin-of-complex-life/https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-secret-garden-of-ediacara-and-the-origin-of-complex-life/For ages, life on Earth and its origin has been a big fascination for mankind. The ancestry of most animals can be traced back to 541 million years ago – when an event called the Cambrian Explosion abruptly birthed a myriad of familiar creatures in the sea. It was a time when the ancestors of crabs, clams, and jellyfishes dominated the oceans. Little did people know, there was a time before the Cambrian where life looked like nothing that exists today.Mon, 02 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionediacaranprecambrianmarineinvertebratepaleozoichttps://eartharchives.org/articles/triassic-armored-coastal-crocodile-unearthed-in-china/https://eartharchives.org/articles/triassic-armored-coastal-crocodile-unearthed-in-china/The discovery of an armored, aquatic predator increases the known diversity of Triassic reptiles. Comparison to other reptiles, living and extinct, shows that it was an ambush predator and most closely related to an armored predator from New Mexico.Tue, 27 Dec 2016 07:00:00 GMTfossilsevolutionfossils and evolutionarchosauriformslitorosuchustriassicchinaasia